Up From Freedom

Virgil Moody decides that he never wants to own slaves like his father so while he is visiting his father's plantation he meets Annie, a defiant slave. He decides to take her away with him convinced he is rescuing her from a life of brutality. He finds out she is pregnant and decides to raise the child as his own son. What follows is an often painful and thoughtful journey through Virgil's trying to make up for the past. I found the novel hard to read at times and very thought provoking but in the end I was glad I read it. The key issue throughout the novel is the question as to how do we make peace with the past and our own sins, and how can we be sure that we are doing the right thing?

3/5 Stars